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Three years in the making, the sleek three-level home sits atop a bluff looking out over the Atlantic Ocean. Its crowning glory is a blue Japanese tile roof that curls into gentle waves.

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Wilner, a leading authority on framing valuable art masterpieces, found a company that sold the tiles but his builders “were in shock” over erecting their first such roof, he says.

Its weight is supported by a steel super structure that can withstand 240 km/h winds. Wilner remembers the house inside feeling “still, almost eerie” during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Beneath the cobalt-coloured top, its ultra-modern design is punctuated by Honduran mahogany, including a circular stairway and 3,500-sq.ft deck, and 20 carved doors that required almost 20,000 hours of labour.

The cliff-top home overlooking the Atlantic is sited to take advantage of sunrise and sunset views.

When Martha Stewart visited, Wilner says of his friend, television personality and domestic diva, she was awestruck by the doors.

Just as impressive as the visible features of state-of-the-art movie theatre, 10-foot triangular skylights and four gas fireplaces are the hidden comforts afforded by 15 radiant heat zones and six central air zones.

While Wilner spared no luxury, convenience or function in the home designed in collaboration with architect Frank Hollenbeck, he bemoans the “nightmare” of his exacting standards, which led to three redos of the Italian Carrara marble floors. He even insisted that all the light switches be the same height. But perfectionism paid off.

“The house came together the way a sculpture does,” Wilner reflects. “It’s exactly what I wanted.”

With a secluded sandy beach on a 15-hectare site, the oceanfront residence is surrounded by a private reserve that’s home to abundant waterfowl. It’s neighboured by Andy Warhol’s former estate, a much smaller compound that sold for $49 million (U.S.) in 2015.

Considered the jewel of the Hamptons, the former fishing village of Montauk on the eastern end of Long Island has long attracted celebrity residents, more recently Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts.

Wilner’s gallery in New York City is a 40-minute helicopter ride from a private airport near his home. But a recent “bittersweet” decision to sell, after listing the property with Brown Harris Stevens and Christie’s International Real Estate for worldwide marketing services, means Wilner and his wife Barbara will be leaving.

The couple, their three cats and two dogs are moving closer to family in Florida. After the success of Montauk, Eli Wilner says he may have to build another home that’s just his cup of tea.

THE NUMBERS

Price: $48 million (U.S.)

Size: 7,000 sq. ft.

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 4

BRING IT HOME

Strong accent colours are a good place to start when you want to inject a little Asian influence into your decor. Think cobalt blue as in blue and white Chinese porcelain or vibrant red, which evokes strong emotions in Japanese culture and is a must in Chinese decorating.

Modern, simple furnishings will contribute to the sleek, uncluttered style that’s characteristic of Japanese interiors while traditional Chinese design calls for something more ornate and opulent.

Asian style today is usually a fusion of several different looks so whether you’re partial to chinoiserie wall coverings or the ubiquitous Buddha, you can bring the Far East close to home.

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